Honor also unveiled a new type of battery – a silicon-carbon battery – during its global Magic5 series event last week. In contrast to many other new battery technologies, however, it is more than a showcase. The Honor Magic5 Pro and Magic5 Ultimate models sold in China already use the new types of energy cells.
The silicon-carbon battery has a capacity of 5,450 mAh, while the regular battery in the global Magic5 Pro comes in at 5,100 mAh. Also, the global Pro is 8.77mm thick and weighs 219g. The Chinese version has the same dimensions despite the higher battery capacity. The additional 350 mAh means a capacity increase of 7%. Both Honor phones support fast charging with 66 watts.
When Honor announced the silicon-carbon technology, the Chinese claimed a 12.8% higher energy density. Nevertheless, an increase of 7% is not to be scoffed at. If the company achieves the same improvement in smaller batteries, a 4,000mAh smartphone with a silicon-carbon battery could store 4,280mAh without increasing weight or size.
If Honor brings the new technology to the global market, the Chinese could claim a real competitive advantage.